| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 2 exhibition races in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | February 1, 2026 (2026-02-01) | ||
| Location | Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 50 mi (80 km) | ||
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Fox | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, and Kevin Harvick | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth announcers | Alex Hayden and TBA | ||
| Turn announcers | Dan Hubbard (Backstretch) | ||
The 2026 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is an upcoming non-championship exhibition NASCAR Cup Series race that will be held on February 1, 2026, at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Contested over 200 laps, it will be the first exhibition race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Report
Background
Bowman Gray Stadium is a NASCAR sanctioned 1⁄4-mile (0.40 km) asphalt flat oval short track and longstanding football stadium located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most legendary venues, and is referred to as "NASCAR's longest-running weekly race track". Bowman Gray Stadium is part of the Winston-Salem Sports and Entertainment Complex and is home of the Winston-Salem State University Rams football team.[3] It was also the home of the Wake Forest University football team from 1956 until Groves Stadium (later BB&T Field) opened in 1968.
On August 17, 2024, NASCAR announced that the Clash would be moved to Bowman Gray Stadium, becoming the first NASCAR-sanctioned race at the track since 1971.[4]
Scrutineering will take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Post-race inspection will take place in both Winston-Salem and also at NASCAR facilities in Charlotte.[5]
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Media
Television
Fox will cover the race on the television side. Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, and three-time Clash winner Kevin Harvick will handle the call in the booth for the race. Jamie Little and Regan Smith will handle the pit road duties, and Larry McReynolds will provide insight on-site during the race.
| FS1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters | In-race analyst |
| Lap-by-lap: Mike Joy Color-commentator: Clint Bowyer Color-commentator: Kevin Harvick |
Jamie Little Regan Smith |
Larry McReynolds |
Radio
MRN will cover the radio call for the race, which will also be simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden and TBA will call the action from the broadcast booth when the field raced down the front straightaway. Dan Hubbard will call the action for MRN when the field raced down the backstretch. Steve Post, Brienne Pedigo, and Jason Toy will cover the action for MRN on pit lane.
| MRN Radio | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Alex Hayden Announcer: TBA |
Backstretch: Dan Hubbard | Steve Post Brienne Pedigo Jason Toy |
References
- ^ "2025 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ "NASCAR releases 2026 schedule, adding Chicagoland and shifting All-Star to Dover". NASCAR. August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ^ Zona, Chris; Trevin Goodwin (2007). 2007 Rams Football (PDF). Winston-Salem State Athletics. p. 30.
- ^ Albert, Zack (17 August 2024). "Season-opening Clash exhibition heads to Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025". NASCAR.com. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ "Cup cars to be inspected at Charlotte Motor Speedway before transported to Bowman Gray". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
- ^ Bob Pockrass (January 8, 2026). "EXCLUSIVE: Brad Keselowski Will Miss Clash Amid Recovery From Broken Femur". Retrieved January 8, 2026.
